Work Text:
It was an unbearably hot summer day.
The temperature had reached thirty seven degrees Celsius, and the humidity seemed to cling to every wall and piece of furniture.
Despite the open windows, there was barely any breeze, and the humidity made Taeui feel like a soggy fried potato.
“Aghhh… I feel like a soggy fried potato in this heat!”
Taeui had complained about the heat at least five times already.
He was wearing an oversized grey T-shirt and a pair of blue shorts.
Beside him sat Ilay, shirtless and dressed in a pair of loose grey pants.
The two of them lounged on the sofa, sipping cold beer and trying to pass the time reading their books.
It was a typical uneventful afternoon.
Taeui was reading, or at least trying to read a book about the Ottoman Empire, while Ilay was reading one about Ancient Mesopotamia.
But neither of them was truly concentrating on what they were reading.
Normally Taeui would’ve been resting against Ilay’s shoulder by now, or the two of them would have taken turns resting on each other’s laps.
However today even sitting a few centimetres apart felt irritatingly warm and sticky.
Taeui groaned and began fanning himself with his book.
Good thing it had a soft cover.
”Agghhh… I’m melting.”
Ilay finally glanced up from his book, watching Taeui struggle like a spooked cockatiel.
“Taei, would you like to shower?”
Taeui looked at him like Ilay had just offered him salvation.
“S-sure…”
He answered dazedly.
.
.
.
They both settled into the cool bath.
The water washed away the sticky heat that had clung to them all afternoon.
Taeui couldn’t help but let out a long relieved sigh, finally feeling cool enough to lean back against Ilay’s chest and relax.
“…Finally… I feel alive again.”
A quiet chuckle escaped Ilay as he reached for the bottle of shampoo.
“That’s good. You’ve been complaining for hours.”
“I’ve been suffering for hours.”
Ilay smiled before squeezing some of the lavender shampoo into his palm and putting it through Taeui’s wet hair.
His long fingers moved slowly through Taeui’s hair, gently massaging his scalp.
Taeui’s shoulders gradually relaxed.
“Mmh…”
He closed his eyes and leaned back even more.
“That feels nice.”
Ilay simply smiled and continued the gentle scalp massage.
The scent of lavender surrounded them, and the only sounds filling the bathroom were the quiet splashes of water and Taeui’s soft contented humming.
.
.
.
After a while, Ilay reached for the shower head.
“Taei, I’ll rinse your head now.”
He rinsed away the traces of shampoo.
The cool water ran down Taeui’s back as the foam slowly disappeared into the bath water.
Once he was finished, Ilay tenderly brushed the wet hair strands away from Taeui’s damp forehead and pressed a gentle kiss there.
“There.”
Taeui smiled.
“Your turn now, Ilay.”
They switched places.
Ilay closed his eyes as Taeui carefully spread the shampoo through his hair, a little less gently than Ilay had done before him.
Now it was Ilay’s turn to relax.
He leaned comfortably against his beloved while Taeui quietly hummed to himself in the quiet bathroom.
.
.
.
When they had finished washing each other’s hair, Taeui reached for the sponge and gently scrubbed across Ilay’s shoulders, starting from the back of his long neck.
Ilay seemed completely relaxed and at home, almost like a purring cat.
“I’ll do your back now.”
Ilay said with his eyes closed, his head tilted slightly upward toward Taeui.
He turned around, allowing Taeui to carefully wash the rest of his back before they switched places once again.
When it was Ilay’s turn again, he gently washed Taeui’s shoulders and back, pressing soft kisses against his right shoulder as he did so.
Once they were finished, they stepped out of the bath and wrapped towels around themselves.
The water dripped all over the bathroom floor.
Ilay took another towel from the shelf and gently took his time drying Taeui’s damp hair. Taeui stood there quietly, letting himself be cared for.
By the time they returned to the bedroom, the heat was present, but it was no longer unbearable.
Taeui settled back on the sofa, and Ilay who had disappeared for a moment returned with two chilled beers from the fridge.
Taeui accepted one before he rested his head against Ilay’s shoulder.
“Better?”
Taeui smiled, letting out a content sigh.
“Much better.”
They continued reading again, only for Taeui to fall asleep against Ilay’s shoulder after two pages.
Ilay quietly glanced down at him, closed Taeui’s book, and placed it on the side table before continuing to read his.
The scent of lavender still lingered faintly around them, mixing with the evening humid air and the smell of greenery drifting in from outside.
Outside, the cicadas continued singing as the afternoon slowly turned into evening.
Between pages, Ilay would look up from his book, watching as the light slowly changed. The setting sun bathed the room in a warm crimson glow as the two men enjoyed the quiet comfort of simply being together.
The summer day came to a peaceful end with the two of them asleep beside one another, while the cicadas continued singing into the warm night.